Leviste, Ridon clash over insertions

Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste and Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon continued to trade barbs Tuesday over allegations of billions of pesos worth of “insertions” in this year’s budget, with the latter accusing his neophyte colleague of being a “liar” and a “fake news” perpetrator.

In a message to the DAILY TRIBUNE, Ridon said he would not yield to Leviste’s call for him to resign as chairperson of the House committee on public accounts.

This was after the Leviste called for an investigation into the P150 billion worth of insertions allegedly made by Bicol Saro Partylist in the 2025 budget.

The insertion was purportedly found in files handed by the late Department of Public Works and Highways undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral to Leviste.

“First, release the Cabral insertions list you claim to have had since 4 September; admit that you lied and fabricated news that I had insertions in the 2025 budget before you start making up new stories,” Ridon said in Filipino.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Leviste announced that a resolution was already underway urging the House of Representatives to investigate public works projects awarded to Bicol Goldrock Construction, the contractor that allegedly bagged two road projects by Bicol Saro Partylist in Pamplona and Pasacao, Camarines Sur, worth P75 million each.

Citing Cabral’s files, Leviste alleged that the Bicol Saro Partylist inserted the line items in the 2025 General Appropriations Act, which Ridon denied.

Ridon called Leviste a “super liar,” asserting that he was not a member of the House when the 2025 budget was crafted in 2024 during the 19th Congress, making it impossible for him to make insertions.

Ridon first served as a lawmaker from 2013 to 2016 under the Kabataan Partylist. He returned to Congress in July after Bicol Saro, linked to the Villafuerte dynasty, won a House seat.

Leviste later clarified that he was referring not to Ridon personally but to Bicol Saro Partylist, which was part of the previous Congress represented by Rep. Brian Yamsuan.

Referencing DPWH records, Leviste said Bicol Goldrock Construction and GCI Construction Development Corp., owned by Steve and Gigi Ibasco, were awarded over P42.3 billion in contracts in the Bicol region alone.

He added that the two firms were also top contractors in Batangas First District from 2016 to 2025, allegedly securing P15 billion in government projects.

“They are also the top contractors in Cong. Ridon’s province of Camarines Sur and have reportedly built some of the most overpriced and substandard roads in the country,” Leviste said.

Leviste further claimed that the Ibasco firms’ projects were part of the so-called CENTI2025 list, suspected of involving “parked funds” or projects pre-ordered by contractors in exchange for kickbacks.

Aside from flood control projects, Leviste alleged that GCI was also the top contractor for the Department of Agriculture’s farm-to-market roads in 2024.

Days after Cabral fell to her death off a 30-meter cliff along Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet, Leviste claimed he possessed files of the late undersecretary detailing alleged proponents of DPWH budget insertions.

He said the alleged proponents included members of the House, all senators, including Leviste’s mother

Senator Loren Legarda, and officials from the executive branch.

Leviste declined to release the files publicly without the approval of DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon.

Leviste said Cabral handed him the files on 4 September after a directive from Dizon, who had just assumed office after replacing the resigned Secretary Manuel Bonoan.

Cabral later resigned as DPWH undersecretary for Planning and Public-Private Partnership amid a widening probe into flood control projects.

In September, Senator Ping Lacson tagged Cabral in budget irregularities, claiming she contacted the staff of Senator Tito Sotto after the May 2025 elections to ask what projects they wanted included in the 2026 budget.

The scheme allegedly involved Cabral offering lawmakers kickbacks in exchange for inserting projects into the DPWH’s initial budget proposal, later funded after congressional and Malacañang approval.